Asian Arts

Of roughly cruciform design with two sinuous four-clawed "Mang" dragons pursuing a flaming jewel, among colorful clouds with ruyi-head forms, and rocks among waves, against a dark blue ground with a pattern of clouds, further dragons to upper and lower borders. NOTE: For a similar late 17th century panel, of brocaded silk gauze, for a Manchu formal court robe, see "Ruling from the Dragon Throne, Costume of the Qing Dynasty", p. 93, fig. 4.10. Such format where the dragons encircle the collar derive from robes of the Ming dynasty, such as that illustrated in the portrait of a Ming dynasty official, in Valery Garrett, "Chinese Dress from the Qing Dynasty to the Present", Hong Kong, 2007, p. 6, fig 1.